Brian Walton
November 12, 2004
2004: The Cardinals’ Year in Review
By Brian Walton
It is unfortunate that much of the world may think of the 2004 St. Louis Cardinals as a colossal failure, due to their four-game demolishment at the hands of the Boston Red Sox in the World Series. That’s just not fair. After all, there were 15 other teams who fought for six months in a futile attempt to achieve that which only the Cardinals can claim: 2004 National League Champion.
Even with the storied history of the franchise, the Cardinals themselves had not reached that height since 1987. This team was picked by most to end the season in third place, yet improved by 20 wins from 2003. They won 105 games during the regular season and subsequently defeated the Dodgers and the Astros in the NLDS and NLCS, respectively. Those 105 wins were the most registered by any team in the National League since 1998.
What Went Right?
Being a mid-market team, with a fair sized budget, $85 million, the Cardinals were carefully constructed. Their lack of depth was unexposed with no major injuries until late in the season.
This team found its groove after sliding into the Memorial Day weekend with a middling 24-22 record, good for fifth place in the NL Central. The rest of the way, they played at an incredible .700 clip (81-35) to steamroll their divisional competition, winning the Central by 13 games over Houston and 16 games over the Cubs.
This Cardinals pitching staff, with a solid, but unspectacular group of five #3-level starters, scared no one, yet with a fearsome offense led by three MVP candidates, Albert Pujols, Scott Rolen and Jim Edmonds, they got by just fine. As opposed to their bitter rivals, the Chicago Cubs, who were undermined by bad chemistry and turmoil on and off the field, this Cardinal club was, for the most part, a group of quiet professionals, led by a veteran coaching staff.
Make no mistake about it. The 2004 Cardinals were a very, very good team and earned their championship on the field. The offense led the League in hits, runs, doubles, batting average and slugging percentage. They were third in home runs and surprisingly, second in stolen bases. The pitching staff lost the NL earned run average title on the final inning of the final game. Their bullpen, led by closer Jason Isringhausen (47 saves) and set-up men Steve Kline, Ray King, Kiko Calero and Julian Tavarez, was a major difference-maker for the team compared to past seasons.
The defense was recognized, too, with three repeat Gold Glovers; Scott Rolen, Mike Matheny and Jim Edmonds. Edmonds and NLCS MVP Albert Pujols were named Silver Sluggers, too. Pujols especially had another monster season, leading the NL in runs (133), extra-base hits (99) and total bases (389). He was second in home runs (46) and slugging percentage (.657) and third in RBI (123). He may again come in second to Barry Bonds in the MVP vote, but deserves to win, in my book.
The stellar on-paper rotations of preseason favorites Chicago and Houston were decimated by injuries during 2004, creating an opening. To their credit, the Cardinals took advantage. However, they can’t count on guys like Kerry Wood, Mark Prior, Andy Pettitte, Wade Miller and Roy Oswalt missing considerable time every season. Next year, it could just as easily be the Cardinals who are bitten by the injury bug.
What Went Wrong
I don’t need to dwell on the 2004 World Series, as the entire world saw what happened as the Cardinals threatened in the early two games, but were dominated by superior pitching, in conjunction with a hitting slump that engulfed seemingly the entire team and a strange aura of tightness that may have emanated from their intensely-driven Manager Tony La Russa.
La Russa is a man who elicits great debate among fans. He is a survivor, having presided over 2114 wins in a quarter-century as a big-league manager. On the other side of the coin, no manager in the history of the game has won nearly as many games, yet as few World Championships. This post-season failure will continue to dog La Russa. Granted, he has five first place finishes in his nine years in St. Louis, but prior to 2004, La Russa-managed teams hadn’t appeared in the Series for 14 years. While not yet under contract, La Russa has stated his intent to return for a tenth Cardinals season in 2005.
Though it was not the difference in the Series, there is no doubt that the loss of #1 starter Chris Carpenter in September due to a biceps injury was a serious blow to the team. Yet, the Cardinals stitched together seven post-season wins without him. Coming off two arm surgeries, Carpenter was rightfully named the NL Comeback Player of the Year, exceeding everyone’s expectations. In fact, his .750 won-loss percentage (15-5) was second best in the League. However, some think that Carpenter may have been overused, pitching too deeply into less-meaningful second-half games instead of being conserved for the post-season.
The two men who were expected to be the front line starters for the Cardinals had off years. While his 15-10 won-loss record looked decent, former #1 starter Matt Morris struggled all season long. With a 4.72 ERA, over a run higher than his career mark, Morris was a bust, given his $12.5 million salary, and is not expected back. 37-year-old Woody Williams went north from spring training recovering from a sore shoulder. It took much of the season for Williams to get back into form, though he was also victimized by poor run and bullpen support. Williams is also a free agent and will likely not return either, unless it is at a much reduced rate.
The Moves They Made
There was a reason that Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty was named 2004 GM of the Year in MLB. Jocketty did not win the award by building the best farm system or making the best free agent signings. Sure, the Cards are sometimes in the hunt for big names, but almost always sign the bargain-basement guys instead, some of whom always seem to come through.
At the completion of the 2003 campaign, Jocketty had a whopping 16 free agents. He basically re-tooled his team, as he ended up re-signing just four of them. None of the players who were signed made more than $2 million last season. Granted, Jocketty had already assembled a strong core of players with Pujols, Edmonds, Rolen, and all, but he added just the right low-cost ingredients to the mix.
Jocketty’s reputation was built via the trade and that was strengthened in 2004. Who would have believed that Tony Womack, coming off Tommy John surgery late last season, would have a career year at age 35? Jocketty picked him up in spring training for a marginal Double-A pitcher. He signed 16-game winner Jeff Suppan, paying him just $1 million last season. He added starter Jason Marquis, who went 15-7 and lefty specialist Ray King, who made 86 appearances, from the Braves in the J.D. Drew trade. He replaced Drew with the steady Reggie Sanders.
But, the 2004 deal from Jocketty that shocked baseball was the August trade for former MVP and batting champion Larry Walker from the Colorado Rockies. The Rocks not only paid a majority of Walker’s salary, but the prospects they received in return were not the Cards’ best. Even though the Cardinals were comfortably in the lead at that point, the addition of Walker showed that ownership was committed to winning.
The Moves They Didn’t Make (But Should Have)
Unfortunately, it was proven in the World Series that the Cardinals did not need more offense as much as they needed a dominating starter or two. While they flirted with Randy Johnson and the Arizona Diamondbacks, they were unable to make a mid-season deal. Instead of the trade for Walker, getting a studly pitcher could have been a difference-maker in the Series. While the Cards are in the process of rectifying that gap in the off-season, it is obviously too late for 2004.
Where Now?
It might appear that I am cheapening the considerable accomplishments of the Cardinals to call them fortunate. I don’t intend that. However, in reality, they were. The Cubs and Astros will be back with a vengeance in 2005 and the Cardinals cannot rest on their laurels, not that anyone expects them to.
Clearly, as one of the older teams in baseball, the Cardinals want to make the necessary adjustments needed to make another World Series run in 2005. They have ten openings on the 25-man roster, including five front-line positions; catcher, second base, shortstop and two starting pitchers.
As mentioned earlier, incumbents Matt Morris and Woody Williams are not expected back. Other 2004 starters who are free-agents include multiple Gold Glove winners Edgar Renteria and Mike Matheny plus Tony Womack. One or all could return for 2005.
If Matheny does not return, 22-year old Yadier Molina of the famous Puerto Rican catching clan seems about ready to step in. He is catching enigmatic left-hander Rick Ankiel in winter ball in Puerto Rico. If they produce up to their capabilities, this duo would provide an unexpected and welcome boost to the 2005 team.
Any replacement for Womack would preferably also be capable of leading off, as the Cards need table-setters more than anything on offense. Renteria does not relish that role, though he has the capability. However, the Cardinals lineup is already loaded with proven RBI men.
Coming off a sub-par season, re-signing Renteria is still the team’s top priority. But, he could price himself out of a job if his rumored $10 million per year demands are real. If Renteria doesn’t return, there are less-expensive free agent shortstop options available and the team could apply the unused cash toward that power-pitching ace.
The problem is there aren’t many aces available, especially at the level that the Cardinals can afford to pay. While the team is again interested in Randy Johnson and flirting with Pedro Martinez, they probably cannot afford to exhaust the resources it would take to get them. Plus, it would be a major mistake for the Cards to trade away young arms like Dan Haren and Rick Ankiel for the 41-year old Johnson. The Cardinals need young, inexpensive starters to balance out their rotation and budget. Instead, if the past is any indication of the future, look for Jocketty to pull off a surprise trade for a less-expensive Ben Sheets-like pitcher to head his 2005 rotation without giving up his most valuable young starters in the process.
In 2003, the Cardinals spent more on two starting pitchers, Morris and Williams, then the Cubs and Astros spent on their entire rotations. That’s right; the Cardinals’ two cost more than their ten. Granted, raises have occurred since then, but it should not be lost on the Cardinals that their chief opponents were able to develop budding stars such as Kerry Wood, Mark Prior, Carlos Zambrano, Wade Miller and Roy Oswalt in-house. That enabled them to add proven winners like Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte and Greg Maddux later to finish the puzzle.
While I already touched on the character of the 2004 Cardinals, I want to return to that point. While no one went onto the field for the World Series with bloody socks, the Cardinals were still beaten up. No fewer than three Redbird stars are going under the knife as the result of injuries sustained during the season; yet all three played until the end. Specifically, they are Jason Isringhausen (hip), Albert Pujols (plantar faciitis in foot) and Scott Rolen (knee). All are expected to be ready to go in the spring.
The Cardinals are a talented and powerful unit, but even with expected changes for next season, they will again need everything to fall just right to return to the World Series. But, what team doesn’t? This group still has as good of a chance as any in baseball with Pujols, Rolen and crew just as hungry as they were in 2004.
